How Much Does An Australian Trip Cost

Home of the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera House, Australia is a big country that offers the best of the world’s natural riches and most popular structures. The diversity of sights, activities, and culture that abound in the nation would surely overwhelm every tourist who plans to visit it.

Thankfully, travel guides are easily accessible today through the internet so you could look at references, enough to help you plan your vacation in the country. Of course, that includes preparing for the trip to Australia cost.

Read on to learn how much does it cost to go to Australia so you could prepare accordingly.

Cost Considerations

The exact Australia vacation cost depends on several factors including:

The number of people visiting the country

The length of your stay in Australia

Your itinerary

Going for a solo trip is the best cost-saving option. However, if you’re not used to traveling alone, you should consider your and your companion’s expenses. The price of accommodation in Australia would then depend on how long you intend to stay. Seeing all of the top destinations in the country or targeting a specific major city to explore would also affect how much your vacation would cost.

Your choice of airline is also a factor in the over-all trip to Australia cost as ticket prices vary depending on the company. It would, therefore, be of help if you could compare costs of round-trip flights to be able to see what suits your budget.

Peak and Low Season

Airfare and accommodation costs in Australia are higher during summertime, particularly in January. Prices in this season could rise as high as 25% in big cities. A great number of tourists and locals flock to the beach, participate in food festivals, and watch concerts.

Shoulder season in Australia, particularly late March or early April, is fairly busy due to the Easter holiday. Expect shorter queues and autumn leaves on another mid-season, specifically during September to November. Prices during the latter months tend to be steady.

Low season, on the other hand, starts in June and continues until August. You would experience cool rainy days in the south and mild days in the north. Tourists are fewer during this time and attractions are open, albeit in shorter periods.

Tipping

It is not obligatory to give tips in Australia but you could always spare some extra dollars to reward satisfactory service. A 5-10% gratuity in restaurants and upmarket cafes is the norm in the country.

As for tipping taxi drivers, service providers would appreciate you rounding up the fare. Gratuity for hotel services, on the other hand, is not expected.

Visas

The government of Australia requires US citizens to secure an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) before entering the country. To obtain one, you should apply through http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ and pay for a small service fee of AU$20 or $15.09.

Cost Breakdown

How much does an Australia vacation cost? Find out through the following breakdown of prices.

Airfare

You could spend around $1,300 to $2,200 if you’re flying coach to Australia. The cost, of course, would change dramatically the farther your departure city is from the country.

Airlines that fly directly to Australia from the US include Qantas, American Airlines, Virgin Australia, Delta, United, Hawaiian Airlines, and Jetstar.

For an idea of flight prices, let’s take a look at costs of a main cabin seat aboard the Hawaiian Airlines:

New York JFK to Brisbane BNE

June 2017: $1,923 to $2,099.16

November 2017: $1,880.16 to $2,109.16

January 2018: $2,841.16 to $3,014.16

Los Angeles LAX to Brisbane BNE

June 2017: $1,392 to 1,622.66

November 2017: $1,379.66 to $1,392.80

January 2018: $1,914.06 to $2,084.66

Honolulu HNL to Brisbane BNE

June 2017: $1,905.06

November 2017: $1,905.06

January 2018: $1,765.06 to $1,880.06

Cheaper Flights

As the airfare from the US to Australia go by the thousands, is there any way to save on costs? Apparently, there are.

According to Hopper.com, you could score low-cost flights to Australia by scheduling your departure on a Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday could also yield cheaper round-trip tickets. Any day beyond those, especially on the weekend, are expensive times to fly to the country.

As for the return flight, the site says that it’s cheapest to leave Australia on a Tuesday.

Booking in advance would also help lower the cost of flying. In fact, there is a possibility of you saving up to $350 if you book your flight 100-200 days earlier!

You should not also underestimate websites like Sky Scanner and Expedia. Regularly checking for promos through these sites could lead you to sweet deals. Also be on the look-out for sales that would be announced by your favorite airline company.

Accommodation

The price range of accommodations in Australia could go as low as $15 per night in a hostel bed to as costly as $150 per night in a chain hotel. Luxury hotels could cost more. No matter your budget, the country in all its vastness would not lack a place for you to stay. Of course, you should book first before visiting.

To give you a better idea, here are prices charged per night by some providers in Sydney (all costs already converted to USD):

Apartment: APX World Square $170-732

Holiday house: Cockatoo Island $60-105

Hostel: Westend Backpackers $20-100

Bed and Breakfast Sydney Harbour $180-195

Macleay Hotel $113-125

The Old Clare Hotel $227-$253

Farm stays are also available in Australia. To get the exact cost per night, you could negotiate directly with the providers through contact details provided by Sydney.com.

Note that these are just sample prices from a major city in Australia. To know how much you would allow for accommodation, determine first where you would be staying and check the cost per night charged by the providers.

Food and Drinks

Food in Australia is a bit expensive compared to other tourist destinations. According to Nomadic Matt, an average meal in the country would cost you $11.32-15.09. The main course in most restaurants and even some cafes ranges from $15-27. There are some eateries that serve Australian and Indian cuisine for under $15.

As for the drinks, a 16oz. domestic beer from the supermarket costs $4 while a bottle of red table wine prices $14. Drinking two liters of coke would cost you $2.37.

If you’re looking to save a bit on food costs, you could opt to cook your own meals. Buy your ingredients from ALDI, Coles, or Woolworths as these are the cheapest supermarkets in Australia.

The prices for some market goods according to Expatistan.com are as follows:

Boneless chicken breast (500g): $4.53

Whole fat milk (1 liter): $1.03

Eggs (1 dozen, large): $4.53

Tomatoes (1kg): $4.16

Local cheese (500g): $8.30

Apples (1kg): $3.45

Potatoes (1kg): $2.78

Bread for two people for a day: $1.65

Expect to spend around $75 on groceries good for one week if you would be cooking for yourself.

Local Transportation

You could get around an Australian city or travel from one town to another by riding the train, bus, or plane; buying a bike; or renting a car.

Trains

If you’re riding a train to travel between major cities, it would be easier to book in advance. Know only that choosing to go by railway is slower and more expensive than other modes of transportation in the country.

Buses

As for exploring the country on board a bus, the easiest way is to purchase Greyhound passes. For instance, the Short Hop Pass, which price starts at around $75, allows you to travel for 30 days and get on/get off as many times as you want between two major cities that you have selected as destinations.

You could also opt for a Hop-on/Hop-off Pass or a Kilometer Pass, whichever would work well with your itinerary. For different prices of passes in the country, check out Greyhound Australia.

Planes

The fastest way to conquer wide Australia is by plane. You could save on ticket costs by availing promos offered by airlines. For instance, Qantas offers a Walkabout Air Pass that would allow you to fly to 80 domestic destinations in the country at a lesser price than if you’d book individual flights.

Bike and Car Rental

Buying a bike in Australia could cost you up to $1,320. Used bikes are also available for sale in the country. Renting a car such as a campervan, on the other hand, ranges from $67 to $114 per day while 4WD amounts up to $150 per day.

Attractions

Australia has too many “must-visit” places so it is advisable for you to refer to travel guides or hire an agency to tour you around the country.

As for the prices to see top attractions, here is a list from Lonely Planet:

Great Barrier Reef Diving and Snorkeling Cruise from Cairns: $118.79

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: $18.86

Sydney Opera House: Tours start at $28

Daintree Discovery Centre: $24

Nambung National Park: $9 per car

For a complete list of attractions in Australia, head to Lonely Planet or Australia’s official website.

Calculating Costs

How much does it cost to go to Australia? Here is a simple computation using average prices for a one-week vacation:

Hawaiian Airline round-trip ticket: $1,400

Apartment: $170 per night or $1,020 for 6 days

Meals: $100 for one week (self-catering)

NSW TrainLink Discovery Pass: $175

Attractions/Tours: $300

TOTAL: $2,995

Note that these are only moderate estimates. How you imagine your trip to Australia is a major factor in how costly or affordable your travel expenses would be. For instance, if you want to hire a car to roam around the country, the fee per day would go by the hundred and thus you would spend more than $175 for a week’s rental.

Also not included in the total price is the cost of shopping as this factor varies from tourist to tourist.

Regardless of how much you’re willing to spend, we wish you the best in your Australian vacation!